Gilad Shalit has become an obsession in Israel, a focus for a national pathology.

Bringing Gilad Shalit home is going to cost human lives. We do not know how many, we do not know their faces, we do not recognize their names. But we can assume that they walk among us. As a direct result of a Shalit deal they could lose their lives. When the Israeli government approves a deal at any price, this could be the price: dozens or perhaps hundreds of Israelis killed.

The victims of a Shalit deal might be killed in a number of ways: They might lose their lives in terror attacks. Others could die in a military operation that follows the attacks. There is a fear that some could be killed in missile attacks. Others might fall in the attempt to stop the missile attacks. If the deal erodes Israel's deterrence, it will weaken Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, flood the territories with skilled terrorists and lead to chaos. The chaos will cause violence, which means victims. Shalit will be redeemed at the cost of blood.

People will also be abducted, we may assume, because a Shalit deal will give future kidnappers an incentive. But future kidnappings will not necessarily take place on the Gaza border. They may take place in the West Bank, Galilee or Negev. Or in Turkey, Thailand or Nepal. The way Shalit is rescued from captivity could mean that in a year or two we will once again face heart-rending pictures of Israelis in captivity. But the next time it will not be one Israeli, but a number of them. We will not be able to save them because of the trauma of releasing hundreds of terrorists. We will not be able to pay the price to redeem them. Their fate is sealed.

Does that mean that the deal should be rejected? Not necessarily. The deal will have serious repercussions on the relationship between Israel and its neighbors. It is likely that the deal has become unavoidable because of Israel's relationship with itself.

There is no doubt about it: When it comes to Gilad Shalit, Israel has lost its senses and good judgment. Every possible mistake has been made. Every emotional weakness has come to the fore. A failed government, a hasty media and a confused public has made the Shalit affair insufferable. Gilad has become an obsession, a focus for a national pathology. Perhaps to get well, we need to draw a line through what was and give up. To become itself again, Israel needs to get Gilad Shalit home to Mitzpeh Hila.

But there is one thing we must not do: whitewash things. The decision about Shalit is not tactical, but strategic. It might worsen the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at a particularly sensitive moment. It could cause serious bloodshed. And so a government that approves the deal is like a government that decides to go to war.

Even if the decision is necessary, the government must be aware of its repercussions. The government must prove to itself that even if Shalit's return costs many Israeli lives, it is right to pay that terrible price.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost his elder brother in a dramatic operation meant to prove to the world that Israel does not give in to terror. Throughout his political career, Netanyahu has preached against giving in to terror. And yet the most important leadership decision he will make as prime minister will be to do just that.

Netanyahu is to be commended for his willingness to depart from his past to end this painful affair once and for all. But he must reject this deal of surrender if he is not convinced that it is the last deal of surrender.

Just as in war, a Shalit deal could cost lives. Opinion polls and momentary popularity do not justify such a price. Even the emotional picture of Shalit in the arms of his mother does not justify the price. The only justification will be in knowing that this is it, it's over - no more. Netanyahu will prove he is a worthy leader only if he promises that immediately after Gilad's return, Israel will return to its strength and determination, to the spirit before Entebbe.

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Gilad Schalit will die one day, yes, but we are all hoping the price we pay to save his life now will not cost our sons and daughters lives. It is very easy to say save Schalit without thinking of the consequences for other mothers and fathers, other sons and daughters. How we die is determined by what???
We understand the pain of the father and mother and would do exactly the same if he was our son but distance does get us some perspective that the emotions of parenthood in this situation encloud. We hope we are never them, and we hope that our daughters and sons do not pay the price of Schalit's freedom. In the end we are asking how many lives are worth one life? How much do we pay?
And even as we think this we know we would do the exact same as Gilad's parents if he was our son. It is a dilemma.

?Peace in our time? sounds a bit to me like Neville Chamberlain?s complacency after his negotiations in 1938. And you know what happened within months of that ?peace? settlement.
Still, World War II did not succeed, did it. So it appears that war is not the answer and in today?s world I am not so stupid as to think it is. But I also do not think we should rely on any promises of Hamas.
The solution? I don?t have it. All I can say, perhaps, is that old adage, ?Beware the Greeks bearing gifts,? and extend it to the militaristic segment of the Muslim world. We have seen their terrorists in the United States and Europe. Who?s next?
Study them historically (go back 3,000 years for those traditions). Understand their psyche, respect it. It?s there and cannot be changed. That doesn?t mean kowtow to them either. We just have to be smarter than they are. And, Israel can be.

Whacked by the huge worldwide odds for mass Jew-hate, which clearly control "sh" as well.
"March bravely toward reality." ????
The reality is that Hamas and Islamists simply DON'T WANT JEWS independent in Israel - the single, tiny state Jews claim as their own, one of the smallest and oldest nations there are.
The reality of "sh" is a disgusting masochistic, suicidal reality. That is, if "sh" is a Jew by any stretch of the imagination.
So many hate the Jews, for Jews contradict the later faiths of so many on earth, that it is no wonder that a sadly high proportion of Jews by now hate themselves also, their history, their tiny land and even their own people.
If "sh" is by chance a Jew, it is clear he/she is but a victim of these crushing math odds.
Pitiful, understandable, but inexcusable if one sees even just a map and true reality.

Palestinian's have their 1150 returned to them, Israel gets Shalit in exchange
In the future, anytime that Arabs want their terrorists returned, all they have to do is kidnap anothe Chayal or two, and Israel goes though the same routine all over again
Blackmail should never be agreed to, it only results in the blackmailer being emboldened and future blackmail, it becomes an endless cycle
Just remember, those 1150 for the most part have blood on their hands and are eager to return to their bloodletting

"The Shalit family sent their son to serve our country -something that those close to the current government often do not even do".
Netanyahu Served in Sayeret, his brother fell in Entebbe.
Are you yourself willing to change position with Shalit? Why accuse Shavit of that?

A prisoner swap will 1) empower Hamas/Iran and weaken Fatah, 2) encourage future kidnappings and 3)release into the streets those with blood on their hands. What has happened to the committment to never negotiating with terrorists? The community has failed to realize what is in it's own best interst: the negotiated price for Shalit's release is too great.

Ari Shavit, you are living in the past with your tales of derring-do. "Before Entebbe" is a long, long time ago, sixteen years after the film Exodus and the song "this land is mine, God gave this land to me". In the 33 years since Entebbe we have learned that God also took the land away from us, sent us into the wilderness and gave us another chance only after we lost a third of our people to a carnage He did nothing to prevent. During those 33 years we learned that our country was not ours alone, that the world is no longer one that juxtaposes domination & civilization and that when empowered, Jews can sink to the same lows as non-Jews.
We have used up our credit. Instead of yearning for the time of ancient myths, it's now time to march bravely towards reality.

Anything we do will lose us lives, including the choice not to do anything at all.
It's time to release prisoners held for years without trial. It's time to bring Gilad home. It's time to talk about making life better for everyone here and the price, if it's land and independence, is the only thing that might prevent unnecessary further loss of life.

How dare you!
You think releasing Shalit will give an incentive to kidnap others? You think it is not on their agenda? You think our sons and daughters have a price? You think we should calculate if it is worth it to release one of our children? You think we should keep these unneeded expenses called human trash/insurgents/freedom fighters (depends who you are listening to) in our jails? You think there is a lesson to be learned here?
How dare you!
The Shalit family sent their son to serve our country -something that those close to the current government often do not even do - now it is our government's plight and commitment to bring him back. How dare you justify 1250 days of deliberations about the value of our children. Shame on you! Shame on anyone that justifies letting this boy rot away only because of political pressures. S
Shame on you!

Mr shavit,you are wrong.
The very reason why Shalit was kidnapped is because everything you said became a fact of life more than a decade ago,and the release of Gilad Shalit is just another chapter,not a new book.
The terror organizations do not need any political excuse or practical reason to murder,they have enough hatred already and have thought about abductions since forever.
Let Shalit come home and then let us worry about what may or may not be without having the live of a hostage to worry about.

Can we turn this deal around..use it as leverage to get into serious dialogue with Hamas.
Couldn't we have used it and added gestures of good will to Fatah..Why should Hamas get credit for the release of Barghouti..why not turn the release of prisoners into an act of building bridges rather than an act of capitulation?
Yes, i know.it is also dependant on them..But have we tried any of these moves?

NO! Hamas must prove that they are serious to resolve issue! they are not in a hurry as long as Shalit capture is usefull propaganda source.
on the other hand, Israel must make offer Hamas cant refuse!

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